Weight-sorting machine.



No. 636,206. Patented Oct. 3|, I899.

- J. KELLINGTON.

WEIGHT SORTING MACHlNE.

(Application filed Mar. 6, 1899.) '(No Model.) 5 Sheets8heat l.

THE Noam: p znmg c0, FNOTO-UTHO wasmno'ruu. u. c.

No. 636,206. Patented Oct. 3|, I899.

J. KELLINGTON.

WEIGHT SORTI'NG MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 6, 1899.) (No ModeL, 5 Sheats8heet 2.

' ATTORNEY.

Ty: NQRFUS PETERS ca. Pumaurno" smnsrou. n, c.

No. 636,206. Patented Oct. 3!, I399.

J. KELLINGTON. WEIGHT SORTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 6, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Shoat 3.

WITNESSES /N VEN'KOH fla ella 24m ATTOHNE Y.

THE uonms pzrzns :0. mom-uwo. WASHINGTON, n. c.

N0. 636,206. Patented Oct. 3|, I899. J. KELLINGTON.

WEIGHT SORTING MACHINE.

(Apphcahon filed Mar 6, 1899) (No Model.)

N VE N 705 Jmiuggzaggzoiz I VY/TNESSES ATTORNEY.

Ya: mum PETERS co PHOTO-THO wxsmusnm n. c,

No. 636,206. Patnted Oct. 3|; i899.

. J. KELLINGTON.

WEIGHT SOBTING MACHINE.

- (Application filed Mar. 6', 1899.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets8heet 5,

B) W I ATTORNEY.

m: uonms PETtRS co. vnu'muma, WASHINGTON, D4 0.

V UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

JOHN KELLINGTON, OF TERRA NOVA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DANIEL J. MUNN, OF NEW WESTMINSTER, CANADA.

WElGHT-SORTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,206, dated October 31, 1899.

Application filed March 6, 1 8 9 9.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN KELLINGTON, citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Terra Nova, in the Province of British lumbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVeight-Sorting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved device for weighing canned goods that are required to be of a uniform weight and for rejecting all weights that are not up to the standard in which a rotatable table is employed having balance devices arranged thereon for receiving the cans,and the inner ends of the balancelevers are engaged bya fixed cam above the center of the table,which cam manipulates the balances, so that the can or package will be passed as full weight or rejected as short weight; and the object of my invention is to provide a means whereby canned or other goods put up in uniform packages that are required to be of uniform weight may be Weighed or tested to ascertain if the full Weight required in each package or can is present and for rejecting all thelight weights, so that they may be brought to the required weight before being included as-full-weight goods. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my invention With all the balances removed except one. Fig. 2 is avertical section in elevation of Fig. 1, taken on a line a a. Fig. 3 is an isometric view of one of the balances. Fig. 4c is a front elevation of the same, taken in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of said balance and the central cam. Fig. 6 shows an elevation of the fixed cam, taken in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan of the feed mechanism employed for spacing the packages or cans to be delivered to the horizontal supports on the balances. Fig. Sis a front elevation of the same, taken in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 9 is a section of Fig. 7 on line b 79.

Similar numerals and letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

10 indicates the main frame and support for the machine. This main frame is preferably Serial No- '7,967. (No model.)

of cylindrical form, flared toward its base to provide a sufficiently wide support. The top of the frame 10 is open, but is bridged across by a horizontal port-ion 10.

Projecting upward from the center of this horizontal portion 10? and integral therewith is a spindle 10". Arranged to turnon this spindle 10 is a table 11. The under boss 11 rests on the horizontal portion 10 of the frame, and the boss ll on the upper side of the table embraces the said spindle approximately to its top, which gives steadiness to the said table while being turned.

Arranged around at an even radii from the center of the table 11 are standards 12, the opposite upper corners of which project above the central portion, and these projections are provided with uniform recesses on a horizontal plane, as 12. Horizontally suspended between the recesses 12 over each of the standards and with knife-edged trunnions 13 resting in the recesses is a balance-beam 13, the outer end of which is forked, as at 13 The outer ends of these forks are provided on their upper sides with recesses 13, parallel and similar to the recesses 12 in the standards 12.

14 indicates a bar having knife-edged ends lying in the recesses 13, and integral with this bar 14 is a triangular frame 15, having a horizontal circular support 16. Passing through an aperture 12 in the standard 12 and pivotally connected between the frame 15 and a fixed bracket 17 on the table 11 is a bar 18. This bar 18 keeps the support 16 in a horizontal position and at the same time allows of free vertical movement of the forks of the balance-beam 13 and the frame 15 with a minimum of friction.

Secured to the vertical part of the frame 15 is an arm 19, which projects forward with a curve of about the same contour as the support 16 beneath, the object of which will be shown presently.

On each of the innerprojectingends of the balance-beams 13 are slidable weights 20, which are set-in or out, according to the weight of the cans or packages to be tested, as will be explained more explicitly hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 2, when each of the balance-beams is poised on a horizontal plane the support 16 will be approximately on a plane with the upper surface of the table 11, and, as better shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the inner end of such balance-beam is engaged by a track of uneven plane on a cam 21, as at 21*. This cam 21 is rigidly fixed bya pin 22 to the reduced top of the spindle 10. The surface of the track 21 is so arranged that if the can that is resting on the support 16 is the full weight required the inner end of the beam 13 will not depress and follow the track 21 on the cam, but will pass around at an even horizontal plane until the opposite side of the cam is reached, where the track divides, the upper path taking over a division-piece 21". (See beam 1), taking over the rise in Fig. 5.) This division-piece prevents the beam from being depressed, and consequently the can or package resting on the support 16 will pass around with its lower surface on a plane with the top of the table 11. Arranged just beyond this point is a guide 23, which extends over the track of the support 16 and with its lower surface in proximity with the table 11. This will as the table rotates push the can from the depressed support 16 onto a delivery-belt 24, passing over a pulley fixed to a shaft 25, suitably journaled in bearings on brackets 26 and secured to the frame 10. If the package or can on the support 16 should not be the required weight, that fact would become apparent when the end of the beam 13 had reached the depression in the track 21 by depressing and thus elevating the support 16. In this manner the balance would pass around the inner end of the beam 13, taking the lower track 21", beneath the dividingpiece 21. This will pass the support 16 around on a plane above the guide 23, and consequently the can or package will not be disturbed by the said guide; but as the same moves toward the point where it was taken upon the support 16 the track 21 will suddenly rise and cause the beam 13 to depress the said support, the inner end of said beam passing up through a flap 27, hinged to the division-piece 21 This permits the support 16 dropping in a plane with the table and below the plane of the throw-off or guide-arm 28", that projects over the belt 48, and in the path of the movement of the package, which package as it engages with the said arm 28 is deflected and removed from the support 16 onto the belt 48.

To prevent lateral and other movement in each of the can-supports 16 and to keep the same quite steady while a can is being placed thereon and removed therefrom, I provide a locking device, which consists of a slidable rod 28, secured to the table 11 by a staple 29 and arranged at right angles to and beneath the outer end of the bar 18 and having a bent spur 28, which projects forward and engages a notch 15 in one side of the vertical part of the frame 15. The opposite end of the rod 28 is bent at right angles and passed through an aperture in a pivotally-fixed lever 30, which is secured to the standard 12 by a stud 31.

The depending end of this lever 30 lies beneath the table 11 and is susceptible of being raised or lowered, which action will draw the rod 28 forward, so that the stud 28 will engage or release the vertical part of the frame 15. The upper portion of the lever 30 is curved around, as at 30, and provides a lateral support for the arm 19, which is fixed to the opposite side of the frame 15 when the saidlever 30 is pressed back, this taking place simultaneously with the engagement of the stud 28 on the opposite side of the frame 15. It is obvious that as cans are removed from each of the supports 16 by the guide 23 or 28 considerable lateral strain is exercised, and it is therefore necessary to hold the balance mechanism secure while such function is being performed; otherwise the balances would soon become damaged and inaccurate in their operation.

To prevent the pivots of the balances from being crowded laterally from their proper positions, and thus, perhaps, cause undue friction in their operation, I provide holders 32 and 33, connecting from the center of the balance-bean113 with one side of the standard 12 and connecting the bar 14 and one of the forks 13 together, respectively. These holders will always keep the knife-blades of the trunnions in position to offer the least friction to the vertical movement of the balances.

As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, a horizontal guide 34 is fixed beneath the table on the side of the machine where the cans are introduced thereto and delivered therefrom. As the table 11 rotates each of the depending levers 30 is engaged and elevated by the guide 34, and thus, as before set forth, the balances are securely held by the stud 28 and the lateral support 30 gripping the opposite side thereof; but in the event of a light can passing into the machine the support 16, on which it rests, will be elevated when the deliveryguide 23 is reached, and it will pass thereover, but will be depressed to the plane of the table at a farther point by the balance-beam taking upward through the flap 27 on the cam 21, when the light can will be removed from the support by the guide 28. At this point the support 16 will be locked by the lever 30, having been elevated by the guide 34, and the said support will be on a proper plane for receiving another can.

It is evident that as a can is passed toward the point of delivery (the belt 24) the locking mechanism will be actuated as soon as the guide 34 is reached, whether a can of the required weight occupies the support 16 or it is occupied by a light weight. In the event of the can being light the stud 011 the rod 28 will pass beneath the support 16 and the lateral support will be pressed forward on a horizontal plane below thearm 19. To allow the support 16 to be returned by the cam 21 before the point of the flap 27 therein is reached, the portions 28 and 30 must be withdrawn. This is done by the lever 30 dropping into a slot 34 in the guide 34, which returns the parts 28 and to their normal position, and the support 16 will be depressed to its lowest plane by the rise on the cam-track, when the cam will be removed by the guide 28, and at the same time the locking mechanism will again embrace the frame 15 by the lever 30 having passed the slot 34 in the guide beneath.

In case a can is taken on one of the supports 16 that is not quite full weight-that is to say, sufficiently less to permit the weight 20 to depress the inner end of the beam 13 in a plane with the point 21 of the division-piece 21 on the cam member 21 (see Fig. 6)the relation of the several parts would be such as to not insure a proper operation thereof, as the inner end of the beam 13 would be as likely to ride up over the member 21 as under it. To obviate this, I provide a horizontallyplaced guide-bar 35, which projects over the path 2i on a horizontal line with the point 21. The opposite end of this guide 35 is loosely fixed in a bracket 36, (see Fig. 5,) and embracing the said bar toward its outer end is an arm 37, which is pivoted to the cam 21 in proximity to the bracket 36, so that the outer end of said bar is allowed to move back and forth for a specified distance on a horizontal plane, it being normally pressed forward by a flat spring 38, which is fixed to the raised portion of the cam 21. Passing over the outer end of the bar 35 vertically above the inner side of the track 21 is a rack-bar 39, the under side of which is toothed. Securely fixed to the bar 35 and meshing with the rack 39 is a pinion 40, which causes the said guide-bar to rotate as it is pressed back and forth. Should one of the inner ends of the beams 13, which are wedge-shaped, engage the said bar 35 as it is carried around, it will rotate the sides so engaged downward. This by reason of frictional engagement with the said bar-35 will carry such beam end down, so that it will conveniently pass beneath the point 21 of the division-piece 21 and the can carried on the support 16 will be rejected as too light for the requirements. I

By adjusting the Weights 20 on each of the beams 13 the machine may be set to test packages of various weights, provided that one weight of cans only can be tested at once. For instance, all the balances on the machine may be set to weigh No. 1 at once and adjusted to another-weight when required.

Movement is imparted to the machine bya belt taking around'a wheel 41, mounted on a horizontally-disposed shaft 42, passing beneath the table 11 and the bridge 10 of the frame 10, and which is suitably journaled in bearings 43 on the opposite sides of the frame 10, and a toothed wheel 44,fixed on said shaft and engaging a bevel-rack 45, integral with and beneath the table 11, as shown.

The shaft 42 projects over on the side of the machine to which the cans are fed, and for supporting the extended end of such shaft a bracket 46 is provided, which is securely bolted to the frame 10 and projected outward and upward to a plane above said shaft and made to support a fixed feed-table 47. The bracket 46 has its supporting members 46 forked or divided laterally. on either side of the shaft for the purpose of giving the table 47 the required stability. The cans are brought over the table 47 in the direction of the arrow (see Fig. 1) by a feed-belt 48, and on the inner side of this belt 48, fixed to the table, is a guide 49, which keepsthe cans in proper alinement while being spaced, the mechanism for which will now be described. Adj ustably arranged with regard to lateral movement on the outer side of the table 47 is a frame 50. Pivotally fixed at intervals along the inner side of this frame 50 and made to project over the belt 48 are fingers 51, 52, and 53. (See Figs. 1, 7, 8, and 9.) The fingers 51 and 53 are pivoted to the frame 50 at some distance from their outer rounded ends by the pins or screws 54 and 55, respectively, and the center finger 52 is pivoted to the frame 50 near its outer rounded point, as 56.

Lying directly over the pivot-pin 56 and in alinement with the outer ends of the fingers is a connecting-bar 57, a portion of which is reduced and rounded, as 57 On this rounded portion of the bar 57 and directly over the outer end of the central finger 52 is a slidable block 58, the inner side of which is connected to the said finger 52 by a pin 59 passing through a slot 58 therein and fixed in the said finger in alinement with the pivots 54 and 55. The slot 58 provides for the free movement in and out of the finger 52 when said block 58 is moved back and forth. Occupying the remainder of the round part of thebar 57 is a coil-spring 59 and this spring is held in its proper position by a pin 60 in the end of the bar. Embracing the bar between the pin 60 and the spring 59 is an eye 61, which is secured tothe outer end of the finger 51, and the finger 53 is pivoted .in like manner near the opposite end of said rod 57 by a pin 62.

Secured to the unreduced end of the bar 57 and communicating with a cam-Wheel 63 is a connecting-rod 64. This cam Wheel 63is provided with a groove 63 on its inner face of uneven radii from its center, and a pin on the rod 64 takes in thisgroove. The said rod 64 is held in a horizontal position and is kept in its proper place by having its end slotted, as 64 which slot is placed over the projecting end of the shaft 65, on which the cam-wheel 63 is rigidly fixed. This shaft 65 is suitably mounted in a bearing 66, which is fixed to the frame 50, and on the outer projecting end of said shaft is a small sprocket-wheel 67. Taking around the small sprocket-Wheel 67 and a larger one, 68, fixed to the main drive-shaft 42 beneath, is a chain belt 69. As the ma chine is put in motion this imparts movement tothe cam-Wheel 63, which in turn causes the connecting-rod 64 and the bar 57 to move back and forth the required distance to cause the fingers to be thrust over the belt 48 altern ately, the fingers 51 and 53 being extended while the center one, 52, is withdrawn from the path of the cans, and vice versa.

It is obvious that the fingers 51 and 52 are depressible at any point by reason of the spring 59" on the bar allowing the block 58 either to press back the spring towardthe end of the bar or the eye 61 to force the spring in theoppositedirection. Thisisessential,asin case a can happened to be caught directly between one of said fingers and the guide 49 on the opposite side of the belt (see Fig. 1) such can would either be damaged or the finger so engaging the can would be broken. This resiliency is only necessary in the fingers 51 and 52, as when a can has passed as far as the finger 53 it will be in its proper position for feeding to one of the balances on the rotating table 11, and there will be no further danger of it being caught by a finger. The points of the fingers that engage the cans are flattened downward, as 51, 52, and 53, respectively, so that a comparatively wide surface will be presented to the peripheries of the cans to prevent them being dented by the constant movement of the fingers. The speed of the spacing mechanism is regulated according to the number of the balances carried by the table 11. In this case there are places for ten, as indicated by the openings in the table and standards 12, and therefore the cam-wheel 63 must have ten revolutions to each revolution of the table 11. This will allow one can to be fed to each balance.

The frame 50, carrying the spacing mechanism, may be adjusted and set to space cans of various diameters by the bolts passing through the slots 50 and into the table 47.

In the operation of the machine the balances are adjusted so that the cans, or packages to be tested for weight will hold the supports 16 down to their lowest point when they are the required weight. The machine is put in motion and the cans are fed to the machine .by

the belt 48, and as the table 11 rotates each lever 30 will be brought in contact with the guide 34 beneath. This will lock the balance just before coming to the delivery-belt 24, and each can is pushed off onto said belt by the guide 23. Should a light can be placed on any of the balances, it will be carried around and returned to the belt 48 for the insufficient weight to be added before it is passed to the goods already checked.

For a change in weights of cans to be tested it is simply necessary to take one of the cans of the desired weight and place it on the support 16 and adjust the weight 20 until such can depresses said support to its lowest point. Then this is repeated on the rest of the balances, the machine is set for testing that size. As before intimated, to space cans of various diameters the frame 50 is adjusted in or out, and by reason of the cam-wheel 63 and its supporting mechanism being connected to the frame 50 it is necessary to loose the setscrew 72, securing the wheel 68 on the shaft 42, and adjust such wheel in vertical line with the small sprocket on the shaft 65. (See Fig. 8.) It is obvious that this spacing mechanism may be applied to any machine for handling cans, such as capping, washing, and crumping machines of that class which receive the cans in a vertical position.

Movement is imparted to the delivery-belt 24 by a chain belt '71, taking around a wheel fixed to the main drive-shaft 42 and over a like wheel fixed on the shaft 25, as shown in Fig. 1.

Although I have specifically described and illustrated the relative construction and operation of my said invention, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself strictly to the construction of the frame 10 as here illustrated, as modifications may be made in the design of this without departing from the spirit of my invention.-

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotatable weight-sorting machine, having a table arranged to turn on a suitable frame, standards 12 fixed at intervals at an even radii around such table, balance-beams 13 arranged on said standards, a spindle passing centrally through the table, having a fixed cam, with which the inner ends of the balance-beams are adapted to engage forks on the outer ends of said beams, frames 15 suspended by the outer ends of said forks, horizontal supports 16 on the frame 15, bars 18 communicating between the inner sides of the frame 15 and the brackets near the center of the table, and means for adjusting the balances so that weights not having the required specific weight will be delivered at a different point as rejected weights, as the table is passed around.

2. A package-assorting mechanism, comprising a rotatable table; package-holding balances mounted thereon; a take-off at one point of the table having a deflector arranged to remove the properly-weighted packages from the balances, and a take-off at another point having deflectors arranged to remove the light-weight packages, the first take-0E deflector being disposed in a plane below that of the balances when in its elevated position, all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

3. In a machine for the purposes described, having a rotatable table mounted on a suitable frame, and means for turning the same, in combination with balances suspended on radial balance-beams, which beams are supported by standards, of a cam having a camtrack of uneven surface for engaging the inner ends of the balance-beams, a divisionpiece 21 in said track, and means for preventing the ends of the said beams from deadcentering on the point of the division-piece, such means consisting of a guide-bar 35 pivoted at one end andits opposite end projecting over the said track on a horizontal plane with the point of the division-piece, a spring for holding said bar forward and means of rotating it when it is pressed back by one of the beam ends, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a machine of the class described, having a rotatable table, and balances mounted thereon, means for introducing cans to said balances at one side of the machine, and for delivering them therefrom at two points, according to the weight of the cans, and a means for locking the balances at the pointsof introduction and delivery, respectively, such means consisting of slidable bars 28 having spurs 28 engaging one side of the balanceframes, levers 30 engaging the opposite ends of said bars, arms 30 on said levers, and means of raising the levers whereby the balanceframcs will be embraced by the spurs 28 on one side and the arms 30 on the other.

5. In a machine for the purposes described, in combination with a rotatable table, balances arranged thereon, said balances supported by balance-beams 13, resting on standards 12; of means for preventing lateral movement of the pivots of the balances, consisting of holders 32 and 33 connecting the balance-beam 13 with its supports 12 and connecting the balance-frame with its supports 13, respectively, as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In combination with a weigh t-sorting device, having a rotatable table l1,with balances arranged at intervals thereon, means for spacing and passing cans to such balances, consisting of a feed-belt 48, passing over a table, reciprocating fingers 51 and 53 pivoted to the front side of a frame 50, and a finger 52 pivoted to said frame, at a point to the rear of the pivots of the fingers 51 and 53, a bar 57 connecting the fingers 51 and 53 movably and fixedly in alinement with the pivot of the finger 52, a slidable block 58 on the bar 57 and connecting with the finger 52 in alinement with the fixed pivots of the fingers 51 and 53, a spring 59 interposed between the block 58 and the connection with the finger 51, and means for oscillating the bar 57 back and forth once for each balance on the table 11, as specified.

7. A spacing mechanism for cans, consisting of fingers 51 and 53 pivoted at some distance from their rear ends to the forward side of a frame 50, a finger 52 pivoted near its rear end on said frame, a slidable bar 57 connecting the rear ends of the fingers 51 and 52, movably and fixedly, respectively, a slidable block 58 on a reduced part of the bar 57, a slot 58 therein, a pin 59 passing through such slot and into the finger 52 at a point in alinement with the pivots of the fingers 51 and 53, a coil-spring 59 occupying the remainder of the reduced part of the bar 57, the opposite ends of which bear against the slidable block 58, and an eye 61, which is fixed tothe rear end of the finger 51, a pin 60 passed through the said bar for holding the eye thereon, and a connecting-rod 64 communicating between the slidable bar 57 and a cam-wheel 63, and

- means for imparting movement to said wheel,

substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A can-feed mechanism, having a frame with reciprocating fingers projecting over the front side thereof, in combination with a belt for carrying the cans forward, and aguide 28 for pushing the cans from the belt; of a connecting-rod 64 communicating with the fingers, and a cam-wheel 63 having a groove of uneven radii and a stud on the said con necting-rod lying in the said groove, and means for imparting movement to the calm wheel whereby the fingers will be thrust over the belt in the path of the cans, as specified.

JOHN KELLINGTON.

Witnesses:

W. G. TRETHEWEY, EDITH G. MAOKENROT. 

